DIY This Weekend: How To Light Up Your Garden, No Electricity Needed!

Coleen Paller6/07/2016

With the winter looming over us, the nights are definitely longer and the days are much shorter than we’d like them to be. But it doesn’t mean that that should stop us from enjoying snug evenings in blankets relaxing in the garden, or having guests over and enjoying a cuppa outside, whether it's hot chocolate or mulled wine from the home minibar.

Get some light and warmth into your garden with these DIY ideas so you can keep relishing your time there even through the coldest parts of winter.

Solar LED Lights

The easiest way to set up lights in your garden without having to rely on electricity and annoying wires is to use solar LED lights that will recharge during the day. Drape them around posts and roof edges and simply switch it on when evening comes. You never have to worry about turning them off and conserving energy as they will recharge without you having to do anything.

Hanging Bowl Lights

If you want to be a little more creative and get involved in some crafts to make your lights, try making hanging bowl lights. Buy some thick twine and gather old unused bowls (especially colored ones) and tie two large loops that cross each other with the twine. Then position the bowl over the intersecting loops and glue in place with hot glue or super glue. Inside the bowl, place some blue tack at the center so you can easily attach and remove tea lights. On less windy nights you can light the tea lights and watch as your garden grows brighter. Hang them on attached hooks next to each other or spread out across the garden, whichever is your style.

Faux Lanterns

If real flame is something you don’t want to mess with, you can easily make a safer alternative. Buy a fake candle light in bright colors and place them inside old, empty lanterns (or even jars!) and create a hole in the bottom so you can easily turn them on and off. Or if you are a little more patient, you can just take the fake candles in and out of the lanterns when turning them on and off. The catch is they use batteries, but you can always use rechargeable types. You can hang the faux lanterns or just place them on the floor or table, they’re the most portable type of light you can have in your garden.

So many people put an immense effort in their gardens and that shouldn’t go to waste just because it’s getting colder and darker. There is a certain charm to sharing a warm, cozy meal outside during wintertime by yourself or with an entertaining friend. Give it a go!